


Reindeer Husbandry

by mm_coconut, Swing Set in December (swing_set13)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas, M/M, Reindeer, granola clusters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 22:52:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2891051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mm_coconut/pseuds/mm_coconut, https://archiveofourown.org/users/swing_set13/pseuds/Swing%20Set%20in%20December
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek Hale, next in line to take over the stables at the North Pole, embarks on a journey to California to bring back a lost reindeer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reindeer Husbandry

**Author's Note:**

> A short story about reindeer rides and granola clusters. So much love to Jess for round robining this with me.

"Look," Derek grits, exasperated and itchy under the hat, suspenders hiking the uniform pants more than halfway up to his armpits. "Look, she’s my lead deer, I need her to come back. _Now._ "

"I’m not letting you take her back just so the other reindeer can bully her into saving Christmas!" the kid hissed, lying flat on Ruby’s back, clutching her around her neck. "I know the song! [You can’t emotionally abuse someone for years and then ask them for a favour](http://mehcoconut.tumblr.com/post/104506447516)!”

"Blarp," Ruby said, mouth full of curly fries.

"That’s not even healthy for her!" said Derek gesturing to the cornucopia of greasy food bags that have Ruby’s hoof prints all over them.

"Hey, she likes it! And maybe she needs a bit of indulging from whatever gruel concoction you’ve been feeding her," said the guy who upon closer inspection wasn’t a 12 year old but clearly a 20 year old who still shopped in the kids’ section, waving the one arm that wasn’t around Ruby at Derek. 

"Pesticide-free hay is not gruel!" shouts Derek in frustration. "I make her granola clusters with _raw honey_! She’s going to get sick on this!"

"A reindeer cannot live on hay and granola alone," the guy intones, as if he was the one with 20 years of reindeer husbandry under his belt.

“ _Yes. They. **Can** ,_” Derek roars, volume doubling with every word, and the ferocity behind it startles the guy so much that he rears back, slapping his heels against Ruby’s sides.

"Blarp!" Ruby says, and of course she chooses this exact moment to actually follow commands, even if they weren’t intentional, because she leaps into the air and rockets off in a huge gust of wind that leaves curly fries and food wrappers swirling around Derek’s feet.

"Fudge," Derek mutters to the night starring up at the night sky and what was left of his prominent future in the North Pole.

"Rope! I need rope!’ Derek thinks quickly, snapping from his fugue as seeing his lead deer take off into the night sky. He stumbles backwards looking for anything that could help him. He tries to keep one eye on the sky and an ear to the high pitched shrieking coming from the clouds above. 

He gets as far as a parked Jeep when he hears another yell sounding more like a below of delight. Looking up, Derek sees Ruby slowing to a hovering canter with the reindeer thief overhead, the guy’s hands raised in victory. 

Seeing his chance, with a sharp whistle, Derek pulls out the last granola cluster from his uniform pants in high hopes that Ruby’s impromptu flight has made her crave her usual post-training treat. 

Ruby’s eyes zero in and with a sharp twist the reindeer is barreling towards Derek. Too quick for the guy, as he’s kicked off onto the underbrush with a resounding thud.

*** 

"…and that’s how I rescued Ruby and saved Christmas," Stiles says, puffed up and proud, to a rapt audience of Derek’s family members and the entire stable of reindeer.

Derek throws a granola cluster at his head. It bounces off and rolls under a chair.

"Blarp," Ruby shouts, diving after it.


End file.
